The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-01-22
ENGLAND'S GUNS.
Methods Employed in the Manufacture a
Heavy Pieces of Ordnance.

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Heavy Pieces of Ordnance.
England's big guns are made of bars,
coiled spirally. and welded into a solid
mass by a hammer. These red-hot
furnaces contain a straight bar; at a
word the door is slightly raised. and
with huge nippers its head is seized by
loops made for the purpose. A steam
winch draws out the glowing mass and
brings it to a horizontal capstan fixed
before the door. A water hose is turned
upon the loop, and while it blackens
under the chill a stalwart fellow,
welding a heavy sledge. fixes the loop
on a nut projecting from the capstan
wheel. Then the machine revolves
with rc>istless force, curling the hot
metal round and round on its drum
neatly and smoothly, and as easily as
a girl would wind ribbon. So the coil
is formed, whether for the breech piece
or the body of the gun, o forits jacket.
This again is cooled, and after awhile
is refined for welding under the ham,
mcr.
You ought to see this Woolwich ham,
mer. 1t weighs forty tons sheer weight,
and when it drops it falls forty feet on
to a block that rests on spiles, massive
masonry and enormous quantities Of
iron. Between two great shafts this
hammer is suspended, a solid block,
which, driven from above by steam, and
gathering impetus as it falls, strikes
with a force of many hundred tons. A
veteran workman has charge of this
massive hammer. He starts and drops
it by a touch of his thumb and finger.
l saw an open-face watch laid down on
the block; then he dropped the hammer.
and he stopped it just in time to break
the crystal-and nothing more. They
call this last operation of the furnace
the "great heat and about every mon
arch there is in Europe has seen it, just
as l did yesterday. While I am Won
dering what they thought about it, the
furnace to be emptied is tlaring with
impaticnce. Through the interstices of
its great door blue, red and purple
flames are leaping out. A huge crane
swings round a pair OF pincers, at the
end of which a dozen Britons cluster.
The door rises a little, he white light
us, and. although l am at least
yards away, the heat burns my
face uncomfortably. Water is thrown
into the awful gap, and then the men
perceive their prey. The huge arms
part and firmly close. the door rises to
its fullest extent. a clash of the crane
gear. a shout from the mar and out it
comes, easily and softly, a monstrous
coil. The crane swings about and
it on end upon the anvil. Then
The hammer falls, shaking the solid
floor beneath us, crushing the red-hot
mass inches down at a blow, welding
its coil together so that they can never
part. But the inside hollow has been
knocked out of shape by this process,
Nlei luc luDe mas Deen reduced 10
is proper length, a solid mandril is
lefty slipped betwixt the hammer and
he iron. For two or three blows the
contracted coil attempts resistance, but
t gives way, and the mandril slips to
IS base. as into butter. Then the
,reat pincers are used again, and it
lrops the mass on its side. where again
t is battered and struck all round. The
Irregularities caused by all this ham,
nering are afterward removed by the
'lane, and then the gun is made by
'ther machinery.-Cor. Boston Herald.
DOORS AND GASTRONOMY